Internal-combustion engine.



G. B. JACKSON.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Armcmou FILED 001.21. 19m.

Pantf July E8, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET eorye B.

G. B. JACKSON.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED ocT.27,19u.

1 19 1,31 1 Patented July 18, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

/ eorgelicimon VJ' l l f Q. B'. JACKSON; INTERNAL COMBUSTIN ENGINE.

APPLICM'ION FILED 0CT.21.\9H.

Patented July 18, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3 Y @U .JIL L o G. B. JACKSON.

yINTERNAL COMZBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLCATlON FILED OC'IZT. 1,911.

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GEORGE B. JACKSON, OF CHICAGQ, ILLINOIS. n.,

INTEENAL-COMBUSIIN ENGINE.

moin-ii.

Specification of Letters Pat-(ent.

Patented July 18, 1916.

sppneanfm inea scruter 27, ism. serial No. 651,039.

Be it known that il, noizon B. JACKSON, a citizen of the llnitcd States, and a resident of Chicago. in the county of Cook and State of Illinois. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lnternahComhus tion Engines; and lv do hereby declare that he following is a full, clear, and exact de- 'oription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which forma part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in internal combustion engines of that kind embracinga single cylinder and two pistons operating therein and connected by suitable connecting rods to the cranks of a single crank shaft. and theinven'tion Consists in the matters hereinafter set forth and more particularly pointed outfin the appended claims.

Among the. ohiects of my invention is to provide a. simple and economical internal combustion' engine designed to increase the power oatfautof the engine relative to the weight oft-hc engine, fuel consumption, etc., as compared to engines heretofore in use; to provide, in an engine of this character. an arrangement ot the inlet and outlet valve mechanisms such as will protect the valves from the destructive action of the explosion within the cylinder; to provide a construev tion and arrangement of such engines whereby the vaporizcd fuel may he tired at such a point in the travel of the pistons that the maximum power of the explosive energy is exerted on the crank shaft at approxi mately the longest lever arm oi" one of the, cranks; to increase the expansion of the fired gases and thereby increase the ellect of the explosion to turn the crank shaft. as com-A pared to single piston engines at present in use; to provide a construction of engines wherein a very large part of the force of the explosion in the cylinder exerted during a relatively small angular movement of the crank shalt. so that the'heat units developed by the explosion are to a maximum extent. utilized as power to produce rotary motion in the crankshaft., and are to a minimum extent ahsorhed hy the surrounding walls of the cylinder. and to provide an arrangement oi' the cranks of the crank shaft in an engine having a single cylinder and two pistons therein. so arranged. with respect to the pistou travel, and the fuel inlet and ignition periods that the lever arm of the crank connected with one of the pistons progressively increases as the force of the, explosion against said piston progressively decreases, thereby utilizing,r the force of the explosive energy against said crank to a fuller extent than in internal combustion engines heretofore constructed.

Further objects of the invention will appear from the following detailed description of one embodiment which I have chosen to illustrate my invention. It will be understood however that the details may be greatly varied within .the spirit and scope of the invention and that the invention is not. limited thereto except as hereinafter made the subject of specific claims.

ln the drawings. Figure 1 is a vertical section of an internal combustion engine ernhodying my improvements. Fig. :2 is a vertical Section on the line 2 2 of Fig. l. Fig. Ii is a partial plan and partial horizontal section of the engine. Fig. 4 is an elevational detail of the inlet and exhaust valvtl mechanisms. Fig. 5 is a detail illustratinpr th(l port opening of the cylinder, taken on the line :3v-5 of Fig. l. Figs. (3 to 13. hoth inclusive. are diagrammatic views. with the cylinder in section. illustratin; r the successive positions of the cranks and pistons throughout one half of the complete cycle of the operation of thcengrine.

The' engine herein shown is a four cycle engine. having a single cylinder and two` opposingr pistons. lt comprises a `cylinder- 20 which is open at both ends and is `supported at its lower open end on a crank casin, r '21. and is partially surrounded by a water jacket 22. ll'ithinV Sault-vlinder are two pistons Jil. 2l. one operating in each end of thi` cylinder. and arranged to move away from cach other under force of an explosioh between them and toward each other under thel inlluence of the momentum of the engine dnrimgr the scavenging and compression stroke thereof.

designates the crank shaft of the engine which is rotatively mounted in hearings 26, 26 in the end walls ofthe crank casing 21, and said crank shaft 25 is provided at its ends. outside theA crank casing, with lv or balance wheels 27,' 27. As herein shown, thil crank using is provided with a base 28 hv which to tix the engine to-a support. The

said crank shaft has/two side cranks 30.

which are arranged in the saine radial plane,

.ated iiieclfizirif and La central crank 29 spaced substantially ninety degrees Vfrom the side cranks, the

cranks being spaced a fixed angular distance rod and a wrist pin 33 to the central crank 29, while the. outer piston :J is connected by means of two connecting rods 35. .to the side cranks 30. located atthesides of the c vlinder and extending ul'iw-ardly through openings` in 'the crank case and are connected'at their upper ends-to a cross vhead 36 which extends through openings inthe arms 3T, Si. shown as made integral with and extending outwardly fromthe outer piston The outer end of the cylinder is l'provided"withdianietrically opposed .clearance notches *38, 38 to reccivethe cross head 3f). The cylinder is provided between its endv with a bridged port or opening '40 which constitutes both an inlet axid an exhaust port. It coi'iiniunicates with `a chamber 4l which leads to 4tlieexhaust passage l2 and to the inletpassage .423.

Arrwsuitable carbure-ter iii-ai heconnected to said inlet passage.

The

'iatter passage is formed in a casting 4.4, and

the 'exhaust passage is formed in a casting 4.5. which are connected together by bolts- 44'.' The i'iassa'ge of the vaporized fuel from the fuel inlet. passage to the chamber il shown controlled by a spring con` Atrolled.f.onical disk valve 46 .which engages an annular conical seat 4Tv between -the chamber 41 and the passage fi. Said disk valve may be normally held against its seat b v means of alspring 4S which surrounds the stein if of the valve. outside of the-casing 4J. and` is interposed between said casing and the shoulder 50 at thei'outer end of said stem. The said valve 4G ina v be operated to open the same either bv positively actusrn driven by suitable cams from the en;` ne shaft. or may be operated by thesuperior pressure above the same acting against itsy closing spring.

Arranged between the chamber 41 and the exhaust valfe passage 42 a conical disk valve 51 that piovided with a stein which extends iiiownwardlv through said casing.r and through a veiitical .dei-vc 3? fixed to an1`l`ext`ending downwiirdh from (he casing of the exhaust passage. The exhaust .'alve :3l is held normally-against its seat by a spiral expansive spring that is interposed between the casing 45 and a shoulder which is verticallil guided in a bracket 5f) attached to the crank shaft casing. The

lifter is adapted lifortactnation by a ca in that isfixed to a :shaft 6l mounted in Said connecting rods are bearings V(r2, 6:2 on he engine frame and l'irovided 'at one end with a gear wheel (il that iiieshes witha pinion fixed to the crank shaft as best shown in Fig. f". The ratio of the pinion and the gear, wheel is s uch as to drive the shaft G1 and the cani (30 at one half the speed of the crank shaft.

The upper or outer piston is provided with a familiar form of spark plig T0 which is connected h v a wire T1 with 'a yielding contact member 72 that attached to andv is insulated from the arrns'fizof the outerpist-on. The said contact member if?.

is adapted for engagement with a fixed stmt i T4 `which ext-ends througli and-is i'nsulatedu from a bracket, T5.that is attac-hedto the outer end of the cvlindergand said stud is adapted forpconnection.l by a wire To, withone side of a battery embodied. inem ignition circuit. v The other side of said batteri' is adapted to be gmun'ded to the engine frame in any suitable manner-to completethe ignition circuit.' The operation of a .gasvengine embodying inv invention will be more .readily` understood from inspectiongof Figs. V(i to 1?, botl'r inclusive. and may he described as follows: In accordance with the present construction. and preferably. the central crank 2f). connected with the shorter connecting rod 5&2 of the piston nearest to the crank shaft. is made longer than the crank 3U. ssuin ing (hat the cycle of the operation-diagi'ai'uinaticall) illustrated in G -to l?, ofvthe drawings begins with the iower stroke v of the engine. it will be noted. first` that the. pistons 23. 24 most nearly approx-ich each other at or about the positions thereof shown in Fig. G and that. therefore..this .position indicates approximately the high point of compression of the 'gaseous fuel. cliargein the cylinder. Both pistons have been ino\' ing in the saine direction, during the coinpr siorr stroke ofA the engine. but Vwith the piston :24 moving at a speed greater than that of the piston 2?. as will be. apparent from a comparison of Figs. 1f". (i and T. 'ith an engine of average speed and with Il gaseous liiixtlii'e'of average proportions.'

if the compressed charge b'c tii'ed atv the point indicated in ["ig. (i the flame velocit) will be sur-h. with relation to the positions of the cranks. that the highest pressure of the exploding mixture between the pistons will be attained sliorlli before the period when .the parts-reach the positions indicated in Fig. T. and with't-he crank therefor o tf of dead center position. ln accordance .with the usual gas` engine practice. `the spark is advanced so as to ignite the compressed explosive mixture a few degrees in advance of the high point of compression pressure. so that the pressure ofthe exploding mixture is greatest at the time when one vof the maks isapproaching a 'position in which on'the cranks to prdue'e rotatio'nof .the-crank shaft throughout. the' expansion stroke; of

-A 'the'. engine. The degree of advancement of the spark will, of course,v depend ,upon the.

speed of the engine,=and rnay depend .upon- `other eoriditions,` such asvthe quality of the fuel mixtureand the temperatures'- offthe fuel mixture' and' the cylinder walls. Anp-inspection 'of Fi and 7`shoiysthiit the' building up 'o `fthe explosive preszure beooiiipreSed charge diie to the combustion of the fuel mixtureis not ippreciably opposed luy-compression pressure. Therefore, the explosive pressure againstv the pistons is'ex- Ql'ted Izdirectly, and without vappreciable Y counteninuence, on the crank shaft.

yondthe position thatfshownzin Figi l' thecranks relativel isfoneof the characteristic features of nifiniprmed .engine V'that the theoretical niaxginii plosion p "ressure on the' pistons is fetiche cranks Vft, and

hd relation t'ik :travel-and high ciency upo frank-30 wliileit noving thiough'th f'itsi'otary tifa-Velin which its most effe Uist'on's to produce-fby thefuel niixtu'rinay be fired :it or about .the-point ot liign Compression pressiireind v the maximum explosion pressure maybe attaind at the time one of the .cranks is', operating at approximately?itsjongt lever arm to turn the crai'ikv shaft.v 1'

Vlt is vfu'rther'a characteristic' feature of the shown in 'Ifto that shownA in Fig. 8, the

29, progressively increases until it'renches l0 the.- pressure ofthe explosive charge has ,v been *eontiniiouslyapplied to roiatethe crankshaft, the highest pressure-heini( exrted against the most effective lei'ernriu'of `one of the izrankstnnd theiliminishingg pressure being exerted against the most effective levi-r arm of the other rrank. Thus, while of :each-1 crank and ninety.' qhel'ej from -inboth directions For instance th e the effective power applied through the gh compression, 'where' gradually increases, by rea-son of its increasing lever arm. When theconnectingiod reaehesa posit-ion in line with the'cranlr 3 0,as shown in' Fig. 9, the crank 29 has reached itshighest point of eicieiicy to turn the crank shaft; and, while the energy of the explosion pressure exerted on the pis- .tonsZ-h'as been gradually decreasing, due to the expansion of the ignited mixture, .the

the lower -r-'pressiire exerted `on'the pistons,

lever 'arm *29' `has been gradually reaching its reatest eliiciency, or the. position shown tween the. pistons';af ter the tiring of the 'fin `ig. 9, so as to, in"a nianne r,'com oi'indA and therebyfto a minim un i extent impress on 'the crank shaft th'efgraduallydecreasingv force :of the'exp'l'osive pressureto produce' .rotaryniotionqof tliecrankshaft. The force of the explosive energy is utilized Aon the.

longer crank 291,0 turn the Acrank shaft i `through a longer distance than if the cranks were of the same length, whereby the lengthof expansion is increased." The' force of the Aexplosive' .pressure is substantially spjent Vwhen the parts reach the positions' indicated' iiil Fig. 10, and in thefurther rotation 'of' the 'crank shaft: the'. pistons begin to morel -tonjard meh otherto'expelthespent'gases e exhaust passagq which is opened *.vt the proper-point- :ind-" 'Siiidexliaust passage reinains`-open` untilthe inner piston, covers the port 40.A Furthermore, it jw'ill he ohserved'that-.the eifectixi'e energyof the pressure of the explosion-- isi'applied losses' are sulistntizrlly' reduced and the.

[poir'er'delirereil by the eng-ine correspond- 'ngly increased, inasmueh :is-approximately engine 'shown that as thejlerei arm of said crank 3() decreases in passing from the. point the entire energy of the explosive force is exerted inthe pistons \;hile' th e crank 30 is -passing from its' positionmwhicli corresponds .to hig'li explosion pressure, to Athat indicated :in Fig. i), with tliei exeeptionot the addrtional expansion 'd iie tn the effect 'o f the'v longercrankQ in its fuither travlfto 'or Y near the-point-shown in lFig.` IQ-"Moreover, with tli'e Airrriingement shown, wherein 'theL-.f

the points thetwced'the- -dead-iceiite'r position effective arcs in which the power strokes are impressed on the cranks 2f) and 3 0 are between the points in which the crank 30 is passing from the horizontal position shown 5 in Fig. i', or a point slightly in advance thereof, to the vertical position shown in Fig. and while the crank 29 is passing from the vertical position shown in Fig. 7 to the ljiorizontal position shown in Fig. 9. By 10 reason of the said relation of the cranks and intheangles between the connecting rods and the-cranks during the effective throws of the cranks. the expansion between the pistons is lengthened relatively to'the crankt-ravel. I am, therefore, enabled to most effectively utilize the advantage of the piston travel of both pistons, witlrthe resultthat the ex pansion distance between the pistons is materially increased, as iii}iareil tO-the angular movement of the cranks.

From an inspection of Figs. 6, 7 and 8, it will be noted that the pistons, after the products of combustion have been expelled lfrom the cylinder, move 'away from each other a substantial distance before the port l0 is uncovered by the lo'wer 'piston 2i whereby a partial vacuum is induced in the c vliiider, whenthe port is opened, toquickly draw the -haige of combustible mixture into the cylinder and to quickly vaporize the charge b v reason of the low pressure within the cvlinder. It will. furtl'ierinore, be observed that the movement of the pistons away from each other in the first part of the g5 charging stroke and until the port 40 is uncovered (Figs. 7. 8 and il), is quite rapid, so that thereby little time is given for leakage of air into the c vlinder between the pistons prior to the uiicoverir'ig of the port 40 to g effect the low pressure therein induced. By reason of the substantially low pressure or i partial vacuum which is induced in the cylinder prior to the uncovering of the port 40 in the charging stroke of the engine I am able to employ 'lower grades of gasolene or inexpensive petroleum products as the liquid fuel. and at the same time produce the 'proper degree of vaporization 'of the fuel when admitted to the cylinder.

ments are applicable to two c vcle engines, and that the construction will be somewhat varied in the application of said improvement,

I claim as my invention 1. An internal combustion engine comprisinga cylinder. two pistons therein movable toward and from each other, a crank I shaft, cranks thereon angularly spaced approximately ninety degrees apart andconnecting rds for connecting the cranks to said piston, said cranks being so disposed' on the shaft relatively to positions'of the .pistons when closest together that the cranks g; travel through the of their throw be- It will be understood that my improvetween the shaft and cylinder during .almost the entire period in which the forcel of the esplosive energy is delivered through the pistons to the crank shaft.

An internal combustion engine cemprising a cylinder, two pistons in the cylinder and movable toward and from cach other, a crank shaft provided with cranks spaced approximately ninety degrees apart and connecting rods for connecting said pis-1 tons to said cranks, with the cranks disposed on the side of the shaft ,adjacent to the c'i-'linder during the effective power strokewof the engine, one of the cranks beingY longer than the other crank Ato increase the cxp'aw sion'length between pistons. i

'3. A four-cycle internal `con'itmstion engine comprising a cylinder, two pistons therein movable toward and from each other, a crank shaft, cranks thereon, each connected to one of said pistons, said cranks being spaced at an angular distance apart rela'- tively to the positions of the pistons when Y vclosest together. so that one of the cranks operates through approximately ,its longest lever arm to turn the-crank shaft at-the time of the maximum pressure .of 'the explosive` energy on the pistons7 and `with lthe lever arm of the other crank increasing throughout and during the shortening of the leverarm of the tirst mentioned crank, s'aid cylinder being provided with an inlet port across which one of the pistons travels in position to be `covered by one of said pistons when thepistons are closest together in the 10o compression stroke of `the engine 'and to be uncovered by saidpiston during the charg' ing stroke only .after said pistons have moved away from each other a distance to create a substantial vacuum in the cylinder.

between said pistons.

4. An internal combustion engine comprising a single cylinder, two pistons therein movable toward andv from each other, af. single crank shaft, cranks thereon with 11o means connecting each crank to one piston, saidcranks being spaced at an angular distance apart relatively to the positions of the pistons whenclose'st 'together so that the compressed chargent-fuel between the pisltons may be ignited at approximately the high point of compressionand the maximum 'explosive pressurel delivered to the pistons at the time onel of the cranksis operating at approximately'its longest lever arm to turn '12o the crank shaft, -andavith thelever arm vof the other crank increasing during and throughout the vdei'fiease of vthe lever arm of the first mentioned crank, and a single portopening into the cylinder and' connected to l1215 inlet and exhaust lpassagesand located `to be covered by one of the pistons' when the fuel charge is ignited, and to be uncovered by said piston during the charging stroke only after the pistons have moved away from 1:0

each other a distance to create aiisubstantial vacuum in the cylinder between the pistons.

5. An internal combustion engi'iie comprisini?r a cylinder, with means whereby an explosive mixture may be supplied thereto' and spent pistons in t operated through approximately its longest` lever arm to turn the crank shaft at the time of the theoretical maximum explosive-pressure on the pistons and with the leverage effect of one crank increasing dui-iney and throughout the decrease of theI lever arm of the other crank, a spark plug carried by one 'of the pistons, an ignition circuit terniinal connected to and movable with said latter piston, and a fixed terminal electrically connected to the movable terminal.

6. An internal combustion engine comprisin a cylinder, with means whereby an explosive mixture may be su plied thereto and spent gases exhausted t erefrom, two

pistons in the cylinder movable toward and from cai-.li other, a single crank sha ft, cranks thereon, conneetiingt rods for connectingr the cranks to said pistons, said cranks being spaced at :in angular distanre apart, relatively to the positions of the said pistons when closest together so that one of the cranks is operated through its longest lever arm to turn the crank shaft at the time of the thi-,oretimii maximum eX- plosion pressure on the pistons, with the leverage effect of one crank increasingr diiring and throughout thi` decrease of the lever arm of the other crank, :i spark plug carrie-l by one of the pistons, a fixed ignition circuit terliiinal carried by and insulated from the cylinder and :i terminal strip carried by said last mentioned piston and having wipingr engagcment with the fixed terminal.

ln testimony, that l claim the foregoing as my invention l .iilix my signature in the presence oi' iwo \\'iinesses, this 23th day of October, A. l). i911.

(llltllll li. JACKSON.

lVitnesses {oss Serienr., (l. ll. Downs.

:i pproximately` 

